Goalie Drouin-Deslauriers' return among Falcons roster changes

SPRINGFIELD - While a flurry of player moves were taking place in their front office, the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League skated through a spirited "captain's practice" Monday at the MassMutual Center.

"It was a way of getting some points across with a different voice," said team captain Tim Sestito. He led the practice with the help of alternate captains Carl Corazzini, Ryan Potulny and Mathieu Roy.

In the roster department, goaltender Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers will be joining the Falcons, sent here by their parent Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League on a two-week conditioning stint. Drouin-Deslauriers was Springfield's No. 1 goaltender for most of last season.

The Falcons also have added forward Adam Huxley, called up from their Stockton affiliate in the ECHL Defenseman Rob Bina and goaltender Glenn Fisher were sent to Stockton.

With a six-game losing streak going and the red-hot Hershey Bears coming for a New Year's Eve attraction (1 p.m. start at the MassMutual Center), the Falcons need all the help they can get. Some of that will come from Bryan Young and Mike Gabinet, experienced defensemen who will be activated after a long term on the injured list.

Drouin-Deslauriers joins the Falcons because he needs playing time. For reasons known only to upper management, the Oilers carry three goaltenders. As a result, Drouin-Deslauriers got to play only six games out of the team's first 34.

"JD will be here for six or eight games, and probably will play the majority of those because he needs to play. Having him will mean that Devan Dubnyk can get some rest. He's been playing an awful lot (32 starts out of a possible 33)," Falcons coach Jeff Truitt said.

On the ice, the Falcons heard from their team leaders, then engaged in a long workout.

"We played loose at the end. We got some points across, then we had some fun out there," Sestito said.

The captain said the team needs to focus on controlling the puck in the neutral and defensive zones.

"We've been playing an awful lot in our own end, and when that happens, when you finally get the puck, you're exhausted and you have to dump it. We've been working hard, but not working smart," he said.

Sestito firmly believes that the Falcons can be a playoff team.

"There's not a player in that locker room who doesn't believe that. We've got Hershey coming in, and taking it to one of the best teams in the league in our own barn could be a great turning point for us," the captain said.

"We've been competing hard," coach Truitt said. "We can talk all we want about that, but we simply have to score more and get more opportunities. We're not spending enough time in the offensive zone. We need to play inside, put pucks on the net, then get to the net. We still feel that we can get back (in the race). Getting two defensemen back will mean a lot."

ICE CHIPS: The New Year's Eve game will include a public-skating session for fans, from 11 a.m. until noon ... Jeff Taffe, a Falcons player when the Phoenix Coyotes were their parent club, earned AHL player of the week honors. He had nine points in three games